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Rock Solid Warrior: Tech. Sgt. Aaron Behrendt

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SOUTHWEST ASIA --  This week's 386th Air Expeditionary Wing Rock Solid Warrior comes from the 386th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron.

Name: Tech. Sgt. Aaron M. Behrendt

Unit: 386th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron

Job: Sortie Support Flight Chief

Home Station: 317th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron; Dyess Air Force Base, Texas

How do you support the mission here? I lead a flight of 16 personnel. I have four completely diverse shops, consisting of centralized tool kit, electro-environmental, fuels, and non-destructive inspection sortie support sections. I provide a multitude of programs and support for the entire flight line operation. My flight controls, issues, maintains, and inspects required tools and equipment, revitalizes aircraft batteries, services liquid oxygen carts, provides fuel cell maintenance, and completes non-destructive inspections in support of tactical and strategic airlift as well as transient aircraft transporting senior leaders throughout the theater of operation.

How many times have you deployed and what makes this one unique? This is my 15th deployment overall but my first deployment to this location. This deployment is unique because previously I deployed as a communications navigation system specialist and saw only a minor portion of the full picture at hand. Now I am able to see how all of the different jobs within the flights and squadrons interact with each other to accomplish our critical mission. I believe that what you do today will make a difference for future rotations and I have deeply enjoyed the responsibility I have been given to build and guide the sortie support flight thus far.

How does your job differ in a deployed environment vs. home base? My job at home station is very different in regards to the tasks I am required to perform. However, like my job now, it's customer- service based. I was a unit deployment manager prior to coming here. Until now, I have not had the fulfillment of working within a CTK section let alone a centralized one that supports two Squadrons. It's a super complex, highly technical and diverse operation as we support real-world air tasking orders and other missions on a daily basis. It is definitely a challenge but one that I am more than willing to accomplish time and time again.